


Pandoran Kindness

by Qu1ntus



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Ratchet & Clank provides OC's backstory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26756386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qu1ntus/pseuds/Qu1ntus
Summary: Nisha found out just how much of a monster Jack really is and gets gunned down for it. She thought her chance to kill Jack was gone, However, a timely intervention saves her from death, and she finds herself settling in the home of her rescuer.Arcturus made a promise. He vowed to give the Siren he met all those years ago and bonded with a life she deserves to have better than the life she currently has. But the chance to do so may have passed, until that day when he finds Nisha dying in front of his doorstep.With a vengeance against Jack and a desire to rescue Angel, they may just have that chance together.
Relationships: Nisha (Borderlands) & Angel (Borderlands), Nisha (Borderlands)/Original Male Character(s), Original Male Character(s) & Angel (Borderlands), Past Scarlett (Borderlands)/Original Male Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. The Recovery

**Author's Note:**

> My first story in a very long time. Nisha is one of my favorites in the Borderlands franchise, and I'm not the only one who felt sad that her death was canon. TPS did her great. That being said, this is fanfiction, and I was inspired to make a story with her as a central character.
> 
> The story as a whole will only come in three main parts. In the future I will likely do some side stories, since I consider the whole main story as a short one, in order to fill gaps.
> 
> Leave a kudos and/or a comment if you'd like! It'd mean so much to me how you appreciate this chapter. I will add more tags as the chapters get released.

When Nisha woke up, she thought she’d shouldn’t have. She cursed her ex-boyfriend for the obsession he had with the Key, having his own daughter go through so much suffering. It reminded her of what her own mother did to her. For all of her own faults and flaws of which she was very aware of, Nisha did not want any parent to be abusive to his or her own kid, even if it was her own boyfriend.

Not that she liked Jack’s company at that point. She had been slowly losing interest in their relationship when he started to focus more on getting the Vault (and the Warrior inside) controlled and he gradually lost interest in her as a result. But when she found out what Jack had been subjecting Angel to in order to make it happen, it made her relive her traumatic childhood memories. Jack (in his insane mind) had no choice but to shoot her down once he saw the opportunity, which didn't take long, as he jumped the gun and shot her first. He hoped she died quickly. He thought she did.

_‘When I see you again, you’re absolutely dead, Jack. Ten bullets won’t be enough. Not even a hundred.’_

But she didn’t. Somehow. He probably didn’t even check to see if she actually died. She escaped the clutches of death once again, though not by her doing. She sat up, though just doing so pained her a great deal that she was forced to simply lie back down on the soft bed. She took the time to look around the room she was in, and slowly realized that whatever this place was, she wasn’t in Hyperion anymore. She wasn’t back in Lynchwood either. She also saw that she wasn’t in her usual getup either, instead wearing a plain yellow t-shirt with pants.

On her right she saw someone come in from the door, holding a basin of cold water and a dry towel. When he saw that she was awake, he let out a deep breath. He gave out a small smile, looking quite relieved she’d woken up.

He seemed a bit younger than her age, about a few years. He was wearing a purple coat and black pants, with an equally dark-colored undershirt beneath the coat.

“So, you’re awake.” He simply said, closing the door behind him and walking over to her bedside, placing the basin and towel beside her torso.

“How long was I out?” She asked. He didn’t pay her any attention as he soaked the towel in the water, but he did hear her question. He helped her sit up comfortably

He only answered as he brought the damp towel to her face. “Just about a night’s rest. It’s one in the morning right now. Bandaged up your wounds."

Before she could react violently to him possibly doing things to her, he raised both his hands up, as if understanding what she was going to say. “I wouldn’t be the kind of person to take advantage of an unconscious woman. More so if that woman is someone who can definitely kill anyone in a heartbeat like you do, miss Sheriff. All I did was change your blood-stained clothes and bandage you up. Got hurt pretty badly from what I’ve seen.” He then resumed wiping her with the towel.

Nisha chuckled. “I honestly thought he’d have done it and killed me. Guess he didn’t take his own advice to double tap, probably because the bastard couldn’t actually look at my ‘corpse’ after killing me.”

The man himself also chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. He then moved the damp towel to her neck to which, to her own surprise, she allowed him to. “Well, let’s take it this way, Miss Kadam. Be glad he still felt some sort of sentimentality to you, however little it is, surprising as it was for someone like him to have it. If he didn’t…well let’s not continue that thought.”

“Heh. Would’ve preferred to die anyway. Now he’s got another one looking to put a bullet in his brain.” After he dabbed a small spot on her neck, her back arched and she moaned, though to what, neither had a clue. To both of them, either it was a bruise, or a sweet spot. Neither cared. “How’d you even know my name and all? And why’d you even bring me here?”

Next, he dipped the towel on the basin once more, squeezed the water out, and moved onto her arms. “Not to say I’m some sort of hacker, but it’s a huge part of my work here. I’ve got information on pretty much every single thing here on Pandora. The Vault Hunters, Sanctuary, Hyperion, Jack, the Sirens, the weapon manufacturers, and you, the mayor of Lynchwood? You name it, I’ve most likely got info on them.” He explained. “I’m not the adventurous type like the Hunters, nor am I a weapons dealer like all the brands there. I’m glad no one’s even bothering me for most of the time. I'm just a guy with a home.”

“Then why bother little ol’ Nisha, then?” She gave a small, flirty, teasing smile.

He gave a similar one back as he started wiping her torso and abdomen, lifting her shirt up after being allowed to do so given her expression and nod of approval. “Someone left you in front of my house. I saw you just appear and float in midair. As I said, you looked hurt real bad. I quickly came out of the door and you dropped right onto my arms. You’re lucky that you’re in this place, or things would have gone even worse for you.” Of course, he knew who sent her to his place. She told him what she was doing and instructed him to keep her alive. 

“Guess I am real lucky today.” Her eyes suddenly grew wide when she felt him touch a certain spot on her abdominal area with the towel. “Oh, there, that spot, that’s the spot…” This time she didn’t hold back her voice after she pleaded as he rubbed the towel over that spot. He also noticed the bandages he applied to her a few hours ago have worn out from all the blood that’s been seeping out. When he uncovered them, the wounds had pretty much stopped bleeding.

“Guess I’ll have to replace these old ones, Nisha. Good news is that the bleeding has stopped. I’ll be back in a minute.” He left the room, but not before putting the towel back in the water and lowering back her shirt while also removing the bandages. Nisha took a look at the dried up wounds across her body, and she cringed at how terrible they looked. Jack certainly did a number on her when they fought. Well, more like him jumping the gun and just immediately whaling on her after she fired the shot. Of course he never actually checked if she really died. Stupid bastard. It left her with another question.

Who brought her to this man’s place? Looking out the window of this room, she saw a mix of a forest, a desert, a tundra, a grassland, and the outskirts of a far away city, with the house apparently right in the middle.

He came back not a minute too soon, bandages and a fresh shirt on his arms. “You…you don’t mind if you could just…take off your shirt, right?”

“You’ve already taken it off at least halfway when you were cleaning me, so why not take the full offer and do it yourself this time?” She teased, slowly sitting up. He paused, his face going slightly red but he kept his composure.

“If you say so.” To her surprise, he actually started to do just that, slowly pulling up her shirt with care, not wanting for her to feel more pain than she was already in before. Nisha gulped. She started to feel a bit nervous. She didn’t think he would go and do just that, and he did.

But he asked first instead of just doing it outright. She allowed it. And he already told her as much that he wasn’t gonna do things like this if she didn’t allow it. And she allowed him, seeing as he treated her wounds.

He noticed her nervousness and stopped.

“You okay?” He asked.

She calmed herself down, her breathing indicating it. She nodded and wordlessly let him continue. He nodded in return, a look of understanding on his face. He removed the shirt from her body, and the worn bandages soon followed. Still, the sight of her topless made him blush, but it didn’t stop him from wrapping the bandages around her navel and chest.

He just couldn’t help himself blurting out his next words. “You’re very beautiful, you know.” That made him pause instantly upon realization, looking up at her with a surprised expression and blushing even harder. When he looked up at her, she herself was blushing at his compliment. Both looked at each other.

Eventually the young man shook his head and resumed his work. “Sorry, didn’t mean to say it out loud.”

“It’s fine. Normally I would have shot someone who ‘complimented’ me, but with the circumstances we’re at right now, and the way you said it, I’ll let that slide.” She said.

Minutes passed in relative silence as Nisha continued to watch the medic tend to her.

“Not the first time you’ve done this, eh?” The ex-sheriff asked, feeling much more calm mentally.

“What, being shot or patching other people up, including myself? I’ve experienced and done both countless times.” He finished up wrapping the bandages and gave back the shirt, which she quickly put on. “I’m Arcturus Tenemule. While I do hold vast amounts of information on just about everything on this planet, I lied about just being a normal guy. I’m a medic, and you’re in Five Fields Clinic.” He turned back towards the door. “I’ll be making breakfast later in the morning. We best both get some rest.”

“Arcturus, wait.” She called out. He turned back to her. “Stay. Please.”

He nodded. “So be it. Just let me get a bed for myself.” It didn’t take long for him to set it up, and he found himself lying next to her.

“In normal places, this would be a breach of ethics. Then again, Pandora isn’t exactly the most normal of places.” He joked, they both laughed a little. “Best we finally get back to sleeping. The bandages should hold for the next 24 hours.”

“Yeah. Thank you, Arcturus.” Nisha closed her eyes, falling asleep. Soon enough, so did Arcturus.

* * *

A week passed since she was brought from the brink of death. But it was only over the next three days that Nisha Kadam had learned a lot about the man who had tended to her injuries and helped her recover from her ordeal with Handsome Jack. Arcturus told his story over the course of that time.

_“So...lost family, eh?” She asked, as he looked at a photo of a younger version of himself and his family._

_He snorted. “Like you wouldn’t believe it. Least I didn’t deliberately leave my mom to die.”_

_Nisha laughed. “I take no offense to that. She was an asshole. More than deserved it. I killed the bastard bandits after they killed her.” Her face softened moments later. “At least your family loved you. They did, right?” The former Sheriff may have hated her own mother, but family still held meaning to her. If she could, she would have just gone forth and taken Angel away from Jack, had it not been for him nearly killing her.._

_“They did. And then in a flash, everything was taken away from me. I know it sounds like some cliche tragic hero-slash-villain stuff, but I witnessed every single thing that happened that day, the nine-year old self that I was, forced to watch my mother, my father, my siblings...killed one by one. Everyone in my home town was massacred. I was the sole survivor, but only because they wanted me. I was kept alive because they found that I was gifted. Gifted with the ability to give complexities form, to make what was considered to be almost impossible, possible with ease. The only thing limiting me was the natural laws that have acted as the pillar to the universes. If I breach that, then everything as we know it will forever be changed. Breaching the impossible is a very daunting task. The thing is, they didn’t have to die, but they were cruel that way.”_

_“My mind was broken after what they had done to me. I had gone through so much trauma from that day that it was easy for them to subvert me to their control. I had been given many learning materials to be able to craft what their boss desired. It would take many years before that ultimate plan of theirs would come to fruition, because I had to learn so much. But eventually...it was done. I was sixteen when I spearheaded their project, and eventually the deadliest weapon known in the universes was fully built on the eve of my 20th birthday: the Deplanetizer.”_

_“Deplanetizer? I reckon it’s used to destroy planets?” Nisha had an eyebrow raised. He took a moment to pause on his story and heartily laughed. This unnerved the usually unflappable bandit killer._

_“Oh, dearie, it would be so wasteful if it’s only purpose was to destroy planets. While I won’t disagree that it actually does destroy planets, this weapon was also designed to harvest the resources of said destroyed planets, for future use. I had learned over the course of this long-term project that it was for the creation of a new planet, utilizing all the destroyed planets’ resources, an ideal one to the boss’s desires.”_

_“As the years passed, slowly but surely my mind was recovering and fighting the control they had over me. I had my moments where I was free of it. In those moments I had built and installed weaknesses that will lead to its destruction. Still, they had their control over me, and I couldn’t fully escape.”_

_“When the project was finally done, they removed their full control over me, believing that with the eleven years that I had been under their brainwashing, I had been fully converted to their cause. Only, it wasn’t on the day the project was done when they removed it.”_

_He paused again, for a greater dramatic effect. He often liked to do that for his own amusement, but it definitely didn’t help anyone. Nisha’s worry only grew._

_“It was on the day they were set to fire it towards my home planet.” Nisha gasped, her hand quickly moving to cover her mouth in shock and horror. Nonetheless, he continued, “It was the second planet that was set to be destroyed. Once again, I was helpless to do anything to stop it. I watched, powerless, as my home was blasted to pieces, no doubt thinking all of the lives that were lost because of this...my work...my doing. I was filled with so much grief and sorrow like before, mourning for all of them. But unlike last time, my mind didn’t break this time. I couldn’t let it break again. My heart filled with resolve to make these bastards pay for everything they did to me, and to avenge not only my family, but everyone on my planet.”_

_“However, they put back full control over me, and it kept going for the next two years. Over that timespan, though, my mind started resisting, and eventually I broke free. I still kept the facade of being under their control for me to install the exploits in the system.”_

_“When I heard that Novalis was gonna be the next planet to be fired upon, I made the covert necessary actions to ensure that everyone on Novalis was notified and evacuated. The heroes, unfortunately, weren’t able to stop the destruction in time. However, no casualties were reported. At least they’re safe.”_

_“After that, I completed the installations of the exploits and then went rogue. It didn’t take me long to find the Galactic Rangers and explain everything to them. The next planet on their sights was Umbris, and we all knew if_ **_that’s_ ** _destroyed, the entire galaxy will follow suit, as an orbital convergence is set to occur.”_

_“Weeks and missions later, we finally enacted our plan to destroy the Deplanetizer. I had gotten to know them over that time, and they all seemed to be a good bunch...aside from their former leader, that is, since he stabbed them in the back and aided my boss, all because of petty jealousy against two of the members, Ratchet and Clank. Right, well, I’ll just skip to the gist of it. We destroyed it, those two being a big help.”_

_“What happened to you after that?” She asked._

_“I was still in the Deplanetizer before it exploded. I figured, death would be the ultimate atonement for all I had done. But I changed my thoughts on that. Not that it was my fault it all happened, but they forced me. I wanted to keep living. I stopped beating myself up for it. So I looked for a way out. With all the limited materials I had left and I had saved up, I created a one-way portal that would take me to a random dimension. And I found myself in a place called Pandora.”_

_He looked out the window, the bright skies filling up his sight. He let out a brief chuckle before turning back to her. “Let’s continue this another time. Right now, I should be making us food and prepping new clothes for each of us.”_

_The former sheriff nodded. “If you say so, Arcturus. I’m gonna go do some target practice.”_

* * *

_On the second day, both of them were riding on a bandit technical with him at the wheel. They were on their way to hunt for food._

_“My first few weeks here were absolute hell. I may have had the ability to make things to sustain myself, but I didn’t have the necessary materials to do so. Also, at the time I didn’t know where the hell was I. Luckily, again, I found some people who would be willing to at least take me in for a short while. You should be familiar with their names: Lilith, Roland, Mordecai, and Brick.”_

_“You met the first Vault Hunters by chance? Your luck factor seems to be a lot more involved than you think.”_

_“Well, to compensate for that I am a bit of a lousy shot. Luckily I didn’t exactly need guns to protect myself all the time.” He stopped the vehicle. “Well, we’re here. Let’s get hunting while I continue the story.” They both exited the technical and found themselves in a clearing. Many of Pandora’s wildlife were out and about, grazing and running through the fields._

_“I never really got involved in their adventure, if you’re wondering. All they had done was help me get on my feet so that I can survive this planet and after that we went our ways. Well, except for that time when I had to fight in the Underdome and actually won the whole damn thing.” He set up their camp as he talked. “The prizes, you wonder? A whole lot of gold...and Miss Moxxi herself.”_

_“I take it you were surprised by that second one, hm?”_

_“That I was. I couldn’t believe she was offering herself. But I declined. I don’t think I was ready to be in a relationship at the time. She didn’t look too pleased, but she understood. We kept in touch after that, and eventually that whole me declining her offer of a relationship was far behind us now.”_

_“As for the Vault Hunters, I did keep contact with them. After that whole ordeal I set up shop at my house, which I built myself. I had gifts, and I used them to be a healer. I always let anyone know if they need treatment they can stop by my place. When Sanctuary had set up, Roland offered me to move there.”_

_“Considering your home isn’t anywhere near Sanctuary, you declined.” Nisha fired and hit a beast, the animal dropping dead._

_“I offered to help anyone in need. It wasn’t just the Crimson Raiders that I healed. I wanted my place to be a safe haven for everyone. I wanted the place to be my neutral grounds. That meant no fighting, or else I_ **_will_ ** _stop it myself, and you wouldn’t want that to happen. I wanted it to be a sanctuary for all, pun unintended. Accepting Roland’s offer meant limiting my capabilities. I’m glad they understood. But...” He paused as he fired another shot._

_“You almost did accept, huh?”_

_He reloaded his weapon. “Yeah. Lilith and Moxxi. After all, I was the one who won the Underdome. I’ve gotten to know the two of them the most. They were the only reasons I would have even come close to accepting. But they understood what I wanted. They weren’t gonna hold a grudge against me for declining the offer to move, and instead articulated better to Roland why I refused. That made Roland understand better. They still contact me from time to time, and hell, even visited.” He smiled fondly. “Good memories.”_

_“Sounds like you have, or had, a thing for the both of them.”_

_He shrugged as he shot a skag. “I had it bad for them once I felt myself stable. I was lucky they even wanted to spend some time with me. I mean, can you blame me after all that?”_

_Nisha smiled at him and shook her head. “Not at all.”_

_“What I'd do to make time for them again.” He sighed longingly. They continued hunting._

_"I'm getting way too ahead of myself. I haven't even gotten started on Elpis."_

_"You were on Elpis too?!"_

_He grinned at her bewildered expression. “Believe it or not, I set up a branch there shortly after me and the Vault Hunters parted ways. I hired Nurse Nina to supervise the Concordia branch. At the same time, she reports to me what’s happening there, so I know most of what happened with your group and the Lost Legion.”_

_“So you know what we had done.”_

_He shrugged. “For the most part. One good thing I had done with that information is saving Felicity.”_

_The familiar look of surprise greeted him. As it should, as he knew that Nisha and the rest met her. “You did? How? Jack had erased her entire personality, put her in a body, and we had to fight her...regrettably.”_

_“He did what Jack was too impatient to do.” Nisha turned around to see the pacifist AI, decked in a new outfit. Gone were her military garb and instead was in a casual set of clothes: a sundress with heels, topped off with a nurse’s hat._

_“He made a copy of you, didn’t he?” Nisha reached out a hand to her, and she felt the A.I.’s hard light body._

_“Specifically, he made a backup of me. To my surprise, it didn’t even take a few minutes to complete the process. He explained how. But then he knew I had to remain in that place. So he made a copy of me for it. You never knew that the real me was already out of there.” Felicity twirled and laughed. “Now I’m free. Ever since my liberation I had been dutifully assisting him in all his medical work, as he reprogrammed me into his work’s needs, and it was much better than what Jack had planned for me. I have only him to thank, and I’m indebted to him for as long as I live.”_

_“Then I should be thanking you too. You saved me, when you could have decided not to help him. I wouldn’t even hold it against you.” She sounded regretful. Felicity smiled at her._

_“Nisha, even with what happened, I would still help you heal. It’s my job to help everyone who comes in through that door. And even then, I’ve long let go of the past. You’re forgiven.”_

_The sheriff dropped to her knees, hands on her face, unable to hold in her emotions. Felicity’s words sparked something within her. Arcturus knelt down next to her. He could hear nothing but repeated apologies as she cried. He wrapped an arm around her. He turned to Felicity and instructed her to bring all the carcasses into the back of the technical, to which she obliged and quickly finished. She then wrapped an arm of her own around the woman._

_“Oh, Nisha.”_

* * *

_"How did you know Angel?" Nisha asked the following day. Of all the things she was most curious about after the past two days, his connection with Angel was what intrigued her. Obviously at one point the siren must have communicated with him, but he once said to Nisha that he wanted to free her, so they must have developed a friendship._

_Arcturus was busy sealing a deep gash by sewing it tightly when he heard her ask, and he answered, "It was a few months before Elpis when I first met Angel. It seemed like she just wanted to talk to someone. By this time I hadn't known about Jack yet, and it was through her that I started surveying and watching him."_

_"When had you learned of what he did to her?" She asked as he finished up sewing the cleaned wound shut. His current patient was currently induced into a coma and injected with morphine to dull the sensations, as the whole procedure was a very painful one. The sealing was the finishing touch. He moved the patient onto one of the beds in the room._

_"During Elpis. My blood boiled when she finally opened up, after she made sure no one would hack or listen into this conversation. I could hear her voice break when she begged me to free her when the opportunity arose by killing her. Of course, I told her hell no."_

_He could still remember it very vividly._

* * *

_"Arcturus, for so long…I've been trapped like this. Pumped with nothing but eridium to charge this…goddamn Vault Key. I just want it to end, but it'll be a long while before that happens. But when it does…you have to do what you can to end it. I'm just tired. So tired. Please."_

_"You make it sound like doing this means you'll die."_

_"I will. The things that are pumping me this endless supply of eridium are the only things keeping me alive now. Cutting them off will kill me."_

_"Angel, I promise you, when I get you out of there you are not going to die. I'm not going to let that happen."_

_She let out a bitter chuckle. "Whatever you say, Arc. Just…thank you. For being my friend. For everything."_

_"Don't thank me yet. Thank me when you finally get to live your life."_

* * *

_He closed his fist and looked at his newfound friend with a determined look._

_"I don't break promises. From the day she told me about her life I had been making all I can to ensure her life continues when I break her free of her shackles." He walked towards the end of the hall, Nisha following suit, where a locked door stood. He pressed his hand against said door and turned back to the sheriff._

_"What’s in this room is known as Project Angel Savior.” Nisha didn’t need any further explanation._

_He saved her when she was on the verge of death. She had no doubt he would be able to save the Siren too._

* * *

It had been about three months since Nisha was found nearly dead just outside Arcturus's clinic and home. Nisha settled in nicely and helped him in his work. She also offered to help train him with his shooting. He wasn’t that lousy as he had said he was, but it could definitely use some work improving, and has now.

It was a bright afternoon, and both were just laying on the couch next to each other, having finished their last checkup.

"When this whole thing with Jack is over, what will you do?" Arcturus asked.

"I haven't thought much of it yet. Maybe I'll go back to Lynchwood and set things right. Rewrite the laws. Ally myself with the Vault Hunters in Sanctuary. Probably even cut down all the bodies hung up. I just want to make some real change, especially once Jack dies.” Genuine feelings of atonement came out of the woman.

He smiled. "Real proud of you, Nish."

She smiled back at him. "I have you to thank, Arc. I didn't even think my trauma with pets could be healed after all these years, but you did." She petted Keera, who was laying down on the floor, asleep. She was a cute one, Nisha had to admit. They got her in the first month of Nisha’s stay, having her help Nisha overcome her past issues.

They heard the door knock. Both looked at each other, eyebrows raised. "I'll get it this time." Nisha said, standing up and walking to the door.

"Wait." Arcturus called out. Nisha turned, only to be met with an intense feeling as his lips planted onto hers. She returned the feelings in kind, kissing him with all her heart could muster.

Once they finally pulled away, both could only help but smile. Nisha didn't forget her initial action, though, letting go of him and heading to open the door.

There stood a heavily wounded man, one who the ex-sheriff was very familiar with. He could barely stand upright, as he was supporting himself with his rifle as a cane. His hat was littered with bullet holes, and his whole body was filled with bullets. It was a wonder he was still alive.

However, Nisha wouldn't have let Deputy Winger keep his job if he wasn't a very resilient man.

The deputy's eyes filled with shock as he saw the old sheriff, but he got to explaining pretty quickly, "Nisha, sheriff…Hyperion...Lynchwood…" He couldn't finish as he fell forwards, passing out from blood loss. Nisha caught him and his rifle.

"Shit! Deputy!" Quickly, Arcturus helped Nisha lay him on the operating table in one of his rooms.

"He's gone into shock. He's lost too much blood, not to mention with all the organs hit.." The medic noted. He turned to his lover. "Get me six blood packs. I'll keep him in stasis first, then remove the bullets, stabilize his organs, seal the wounds, and finally I'll do blood transfusion."

In many cases Arcturus could be considered a miracle worker. There hasn't been a single person on the verge of death that he hasn't been able to save. He does his work with speed and an insane amount of efficiency and accuracy. Conditions thought to be impossible to recover from, he cured them of it. It was a part of his gift. This was just another one of those times.

When Nisha returned with the blood packs, Arcturus was already in the process of sealing Deputy Winger's wounds.

The woman watched him do his work, and her mind went overdrive with anger. Harming her was one thing. She didn't mind the occasional pain. Seeing and learning what he did to Angel in all those years made her want to beat him within an inch of his life. But the possible likelihood of Lynchwood already being taken over by Jack and Hyperion? It was _her_ town now, damn it, and she wasn't going to let anyone take it from her!

Arcturus, as he usually did, completed the transfusion with ease. He moved the unconscious deputy to the recovery room, linking him on a monitor to supervise his condition. He exited the room and turned to Nisha.

“You’re angry, and I get that.”

“Jack is fucking dead.” She growled. She wanted him dead before, but now she wants him to _suffer_ before killing him.

He nodded and then hugged her in an attempt to cool her off. “I know. But we can’t be hasty. Saving Angel is our first priority. Then we can retake Lynchwood.” He let her go and moved his hand to his earpiece.

“Who are you calling?”

“Lilith. It’s time we help out the Raiders and save Angel.”

They waited as the beeps passed by. Eventually, her voice reached through. “You have five seconds to explain how you got this line before I cut you off for good.”

He sighed in relief. “Lilith, it’s me. Good to hear your voice again after all these months.”

He could hear a gasp on the other end. “Holy shit, Arcturus! You never told me you changed your comms!”

“My last one got destroyed, and I couldn’t find the time to let you know. Sorry.”

“While I’m happy to hear from you, you wouldn’t call for anything other than something important.”

“And you’d be right, most of the time. I hear you and the Vault Hunters got everything set to get to Control Core Angel. I want to help.”

He could feel her smirk on the other end. “Well we could always use more help. Get to Thousand Cuts. They’ve probably bypassed the first security system already, so you’ve still got lots of time to catch up.”

“Gotcha. We’ll be there.”

“Wait, we? Who’s there with--” Arcturus cut the call before Lilith could further ask. He turned to Nisha and nodded. Both went to get their signature weapons and met at the front door.

“Alright then. Let’s get there, guns blazing. We've got ourselves a Siren to save.”


	2. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where angels fear to tread, Arcturus and Nisha show none as they work to rescue the siren with the Vault Hunters at Thousand Cuts.

Nisha had never experienced flying, save for her time getting to Helios Station...and getting shot from the moon cannon to Elpis by Jack. But as far as she was concerned, she never truly felt the skies in her entire life.

Until today.

Arcturus knew that getting to Thousand Cuts by the technical would take way too long. By the time they got there driving, they would be too late to actually save Angel, so he took the plane that he used to fly long ago out on the field. It was a simple little aircraft. It’s a two-seater at the front, while there’s a stock trunk in the back for anything Arcturus needed. It had been months since his last flight, but he still kept it conditioned in case of any event that required him to fly. Once they stocked their weapons and ammo at the back, they hopped on and flew off.

Nisha finally got a true taste of flying...and it felt _so_ _good_. It was a rush unlike any other. She looked so joyous. Arcturus saw her thrilled expression and smiled.

“You can’t ever forget your first flight.” He noted. He was happy to see her experience it. He turned his focus back to what was in front of him.

His thoughts were less focused on their current predicament and more on the future, namely: retaking Lynchwood. Him and Nisha may not be able to take on what Hyperion may have stationed in the town. He knew better than to ask Lilith for more help after this. Brick was still very sore over what had happened in his past encounter with Nisha, and Arcturus wasn’t willing to light that powder keg up, even with Nisha getting better control of herself over her tendencies with pets. He’s unknown about Mordecai, but even if Lilith and Roland would agree, he feels that he’s taking advantage of their kindness too much. The new Vault Hunters might be willing, but that’s up to them.

_ ‘Oh, right. I can rely on them to help me with this. They still do owe me a favor, after all.’  _ There were still a few others that he knew he could ask without any worry. He just needed to call them.

With Nisha still taking in the skies, the man went and called with his earpiece.

“Captain Scarlett speaking, who’s this unidentified number?”

“Dear Captain, how I’ve missed you so.” Arcturus greeted.

Scarlett paused, then gave a chuckle. “I’ll be fucking damned. I didn’t think my old first mate would be calling me again. It’s good to see you, Arcturus.”

“Wait, you’re calling Scarlett?” Nisha asked. Arcturus wasn’t able to hear it, though.

Arcturus then heard a scuffle on the other end. Out the line came another familiar voice. “Give me that! I want to speak with him. Alrighty, how’s my man Arc doing, eh?”

The medic snorted. “Enough with the suave attempt, Tims. I thought you’ve tried to become someone other than who you look like.”

“Hard to be someone other than Jack when this face really messes with your brain. I’ve been trying to rein that in, though.”

“All jokes aside, you both alright?” He asked.

Another scuffle was heard, and this time Scarlett’s voice came out, sounding a bit vulnerable. “You haven’t called in years. I missed you.” Long ago, Arcturus started exploring the planet from end to end, and in his travels he met the pirate captain. He offered her to join him in his exploration, provided he could use her ship. Ever the opportunist, Scarlett agreed but added her own terms, one of which being he becomes her right hand man. Feelings would eventually get involved in their ‘contract’, but they did their best to stave off the tension that was evident to the whole crew.

Still, they failed to resist acting on their passions.

“I missed you too, but you know we had to go our separate ways.” He said somberly.

“I do. Doesn’t make it hurt any less, you know. You’re the only one I’d never truly stab in the back.”

All three of them heard a “Hey, what about me?” from Timothy. They all shared a laugh, even Timothy..

“Scarlett! You goddamned pirate, I haven’t heard from you in a while!” Nisha finally got her voice through.

“Hold up, Arc. You got Nisha with you there? Lemme talk to her!” He did as obliged and gave the earpiece to her. “Nish, been a while! How’s it going?”

As he let the two talk and catch up, he continued flying the plane to Thousand Cuts, thoughts now drifting back to Angel. His grip on the controls tightened slightly, his eyes sharp.

_ ‘It’s all gonna be over soon, Angel. I promise.’ _

He felt Nisha’s hand on his shoulder, a sign of comfort and reassurance for him. He placed one hand on top of hers. She handed back the earpiece to him, even putting it back on his ear herself.

“Alright, Captain. I’m cashing in that favor.”

“Anything for you, dear.”

“Be careful with that, dear Scarlett.” They both chuckled. “Lynchwood has been taken by Jack and Hyperion. Nisha wants to take it back, and I’m gonna help her with that. I figured to have some backup in case.”

“Well, first of all, if this is the favor you’re asking me then you’re wasting it,” She chuckled, “But second, why not ask the Crimson Raiders?”

He took a deep breath at that question. “They don’t know about what happened to Nisha yet. As far as they know right now, she’s still Jack’s flame.”

“Right. You know what, that’s your problem to deal with, getting Nisha and the Raiders to get along. However, now that I heard about Jack nearly killing Nish from her, I want payback.”

Arcturus grinned. “I’m glad we agree.”

“Hey, I want a part in getting revenge on Jack too! This has nothing to do with what happened to Nisha, but I want the man who ruined my life dead too.” Timothy said, yanking the phone from Scarlett.

“Come on, Tims, you know you’re in this too. The more the merrier, right?”

“FUCK YEAH!” Scarlett took back the phone.

“Alright bucko, now let me talk to him again. So when are we doing this?” She asked.

“After me and Nisha save Angel. I’ll give you a call in advance so that you can prepare too.”

“Alright. This ship is calling for Jack’s blood, and we’ll be riding in glory.” He could feel her bloodthirsty grin, the kind he saw when they got a ship to plunder. This time, Hyperion will be that ship.

“For sure. See you soon, my Captain.”

“You too...my once first mate.” Scarlett said.  _ ‘My first...and only mate.’ _

As Scarlett hung up the call, Timothy held his hand out. “He’s gonna need all the help he can get. I just need one call to someone I know.”

“The more, the merrier, right?” Scarlett said, handing over their comms device.

Timothy grinned and punched in a few numbers.

“Hey, Athena. It’s Timothy. Our mutual friends at Five Points need some help in the future…”

* * *

Arcturus and Nisha arrived at Thousand Cuts. Arcturus landed his plane just outside the first security gate, and already they saw the trail of devastation left by the Vault Hunters.

Once the plane fully stopped, he took a few deep breaths to calm himself, as his heart was pounding out of fear. Once again, he felt Nisha’s hand on his shoulder, and she turned him to face her. Staring into her warm brown eyes, his nerves eased up and his heartbeat returned to normal. Suddenly he was yanked by his collar and deeply kissed by his revolver-toting girlfriend, and he felt his heartbeat quicken again.

“For Angel, right?” She said as she pulled away from him.

He nodded. “For Angel."

By the gods, he loved this woman. 

With their weapons, they jumped out of the plane and ran up the road leading to Angel.

“Hey, Arc! Better hurry your ass up the bunker! The Vault Hunters could probably use your help! They’re dealing with the bunker’s security system, and it’s huge!” Brick said through his own earpiece.

“On our way, Brick.” As they ran, they heard the sound of gunfire and explosions from above, and they looked up to see the BNK3R fighting the group of six Vault Hunters.

He looked to Nisha and she nodded, grabbing and holding his hand. Holstering his weapon, he took out his grappling hook gun. Shooting it towards the top, he hit his mark, the hook embedding itself to the floor near the very top. He then let it pull them up. At the apex of their jump, he let go of the hook gun and both landed just next to Zer0, who was on one knee, the sword just holding them up.

“Zer0, give me a sitrep.” Arcturus instructed.

“Maya’s recovering from a state of disorientation, as she took the brunt of an explosive blast just a minute prior, albeit she was able to mitigate the damage she would’ve taken by shielding herself. Gaige and Deathtrap are fighting it face to face. Salvador’s roaming around to collect ammo and medpacks for everyone. Axton is providing cover fire for Salvador while also defending Maya with his turrets. And Krieg--”

“I WILL BREAK YOUR BONES AND TANGLE YOUR NERVES!”

“Krieg’s trying to pry open BNK3R’s top shell.”

“I WILL DANCE ON THESE DEAD CELLS!”

Arcturus nodded. "Give me a few minutes to heal Maya and find the unit's weakness. We strike at once when I say so. Nisha, help Zer0 and the rest of the team. Zer0, you have Nisha at your disposal. It’s gonna take the effort of every one of us to destroy it. Now go!"

No hesitation came from the masked assassin when they nodded at the ex-sheriff. "Follow my lead."

As Zer0 and Nisha left Arcturus, he went to Axton and Maya's location. There sat Maya, her hands holding her head, and Axton and his turret firing away.

"Maya.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Focus on me.” With his headphones on, he concentrated his mental energies on healing the Siren’s mind as Maya stared into his eyes.

A few moments passed, and he then released his hands from her shoulders, ending his healing process. “How are you feeling now?”

“Much better, now that the world isn’t constantly spinning anymore. Thanks, Arcturus.” Maya said. “Now, how do we stop this thing?” Scanning the area, Nisha was taking potshots at the massive robot, while Zero was cutting through its sides and shooting at the same time thanks to his clone, while Salvador finished his supply run and was now firing at the unit as well.

His headphones transformed into a pair of scanning goggles. Wearing them, he could see the optimal points of weaknesses and resistance levels of any unit. Upon reverting it back to a pair of headphones once he scanned the unit in full, he frowned at the result he arrived at.

“The whole thing is excessively armored. Even its red lights are very hard to break through. However, I can see a weak point, but it’s not going to be easy, and not what I had assumed, which was the big red light underneath the ship. The middle portion of its top is armored just like the rest, but it’s covering a glass shield which protects its central core compound. If we can break through the two protections, we should be able to effectively nullify it for good.”

“What about its weapons systems?” Axton asked.

“If we destroy them, BNK3R will just recreate them, making all our ammo useless. However, we can be able to delay the process, and maybe even eventually stop it by destroying the big red light underneath the aircraft.”

The huge aircraft made its spin around the building, but not before Krieg jumped away from it, meeting up with the rest of the team, who have now grouped up.

“Right, now that we’re all grouped together, here’s the plan.” He looked first at both Axton and Maya. “Axton, your turrets will be needed against the weapons systems, so focus fire on them and the red light once they’re destroyed. Maya, shield and heal anyone in danger of being blown to bits. If you can get a hit into those mounted guns, that’d be great.”

Next, he turned to Gaige, Zer0, and Salvador. “You guys are the ones best with dealing huge amounts of damage, so your focus is on the armor, specifically, the top middle portion. We need that unit sliced open from the top.” He switched over to Krieg. “Alright big guy, your job is to assist them in doing so, but the moment the armor gets shredded, go ham on the glass shield and its central core compound.” He turned back to Maya. “That thing will be primed to explode once its systems are destroyed. Get Krieg out of there before it happens.”

Lastly, he turned to Nisha. “Finally, we’ll be doing a little bit of both weapons systems fire and armor destruction. The added damage we can deal will help them immensely. Now then, does everyone know what to do?”

They all nodded. “Good. That thing will be coming back any moment now. Let’s get this done and then get to the depths of this place.”

* * *

The ensuing fight was a grueling but crisp affair. Eventually destroying the defense mechanism, they were all heading down to Control Core Angel through the elevator, bypassing the final obstacle with Jack’s bio-signature and the voice modulator transforming the wearer’s voice into Jack’s.

Jack’s voice rang through their comms. “Consider this your final--no, consider this MY final warning. You can still turn back and I can promise you I’ll make it quick. But if you take one more step, every soul back in Sanctuary will die, staring at their lungs as I rip them out of their chests.”  


Gaige had enough of the silence following Jack’s words. She turned to Arcturus and asked, “What does Angel mean to you, Arc? You went this far to help us, so what does she mean to you?”

He turned to her to answer. “She’s a friend, Gaige. A good friend. She helped me with a lot of things. I confided in her, and she confided in me. Trust me when I tell you that she never wanted to betray you guys. Now we’re her only hope of giving her a life she, frankly speaking, deserves better. I hope you guys can understand.”

“We understand. I do, at least.” Gaige said, smiling.

“I do as well.” Zero said.

“Same with me.” Axton said.

“Hey, it would mean a lot to me as well if we can free her.” Maya said.

“Pretty lady doesn’t deserve that pain!” Krieg said.  _ ‘That might actually be the second thing he said that makes sense today. Either way, Angel doesn’t deserve this either.’  _ The inner manifestation of Krieg said in mind.

“She just needs a better family.” Salvador said. “Maybe we can be that for the chica.”

“You already know what I think, Arc.” Nisha said.

Arcturus smiled. “Thank you, guys. Now…” The elevator stopped, indicating they’ve arrived. “We have a Siren to rescue.” He held his fist out. “Angel on three.”

Everyone joined in on the fist bump. “FOR ANGEL!”

The elevator stopped at its destination. They had their weapons ready.

Entering Angel’s ‘room,’ they weren’t quite prepared for what they were about to see once they pressed the button in the middle.

“Executing phase shift.”

Everything changed. The walls were gone, and so was the station holding the button. The Vault Key appeared.

“The Vault Key. It’s here, but it takes more than stealing the Vault Key to stop the Warrior from waking. You have to destroy the catalyst. You have to destroy me.”

Angel finally met them in the flesh, appearing before them with white wings and a black bodysuit.

Instantly, Nisha and Arcturus both tackled and embraced the Siren. Angel was taken aback by the sudden event, her wings disappearing shortly after upon the release of her powers.

“We’re going to free you baby girl. We promise you that.” Nisha said.

“You’ll have a chance at life at last. We’ll do everything we can. You’re not going to die here. Just give us time.” Arcturus said.

It had been many years since Angel last felt the touch of another person, anyone other than Jack. She couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the sudden emotions displayed towards her. The warm embrace she felt evoked feelings she had long thought were buried deep in her psyche.

For the first time in a long time, she felt a surge of hope.

She shed a few tears as she tightly hugged the couple. “Will you...really be able to do that?”

“That’s a promise. One that will be fulfilled. You know I don’t back down from a promise I make.” Arcturus answered.

Angel felt herself smile. An honest to god smile. Maybe it was possible.

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!”

But in that instant, all that hope was pushed aside once Jack pulled her away from the couple’s arms.

In the next moment, the entire group saw a door open to an even larger room. In the middle was a trapped Angel, protected by a dome. They all rushed inside.

“Angel?! What are you doing?” Jack asked.

“Stopping you, you piece of--” Jack cut her off by admonishing her language. Ignoring him, she turned back to the group. “Destroy the Eridium Injectors up at the top to free me!” She instructed.

Arcturus nodded. He turned to face them. “I want to settle this as quickly as possible, so let’s do it as efficiently as we can.” He turned back to where Angel was trapped. “There’s three injectors. Our goal is to destroy them in the soonest, so as best as possible I want to destroy all three at the same time.” Once more, he shifted his eyes back to the group. “We’ll split into three groups: Me, Nisha, and Zer0 as the first group, Maya, Krieg, and Salvador as the second group, and Axton and Gaige as the last. Each group needs someone to get up to the injectors and do as much melee damage as possible. Zer0, Krieg, and Gaige’s Deathtrap are all able to get close and do that, while the rest of us will fire upon them. I feel like Jack’s not gonna let us free her that easily, so ready yourselves. Everyone up for it?” They all nodded. “Good. Let’s go!”

Now split into three groups, each of them went to a specific injector and started attacking.

“Yes, just like that! You’re doing great!” Angel said encouragingly.

“No! I’m not gonna let this happen! Shields up!” Jack said. At his command the injectors were shielded with an impenetrable defense.

“Damn it!” Angel cursed. “I’ll try to expose the injectors, be ready to defend yourselves!”

“Bandits, if you keep this up I’ll…” Jack paused when he saw her amongst them. “Nisha?!”

The ex-sheriff gave a maddening grin at the sight of his shocked face. Without the romantic ties that once bound her to him, she found it cathartic that she gave him quite a shock. “That’s right, you bastard. You’re going to pay for everything you’ve done to Angel.”

He rapidly shook his head, his face morphing to one of extreme anger. “I knew I should’ve checked on your body again. DAMN IT! If you’re working with them, then you’ll just have to go die with them too.”

“Not if I get my hands on you first, you fucking coward. You’re really gonna regret leaving me alive, and you really should've followed your own advice.” Nisha bit back.

The robots started to spawn. Everyone readied themselves and started firing upon them.

“Alright, boss, what’s the new plan?” Axton asked.

“I’m still working on it, and don’t call me ‘boss’, Axton! You all know how uncomfortable I feel with that.” Arcturus said.

“My bad, but you better get a plan going and fast! We don’t have all the ammo in the world to last us long!” Axton was right, as the robots began their assault and closed in on them, only to be destroyed by gunfire.

“I have all the ammo you need! I’ll keep them flowing while you deal with the guards.” Angel said, instantly proving the commando wrong.

“A woman after my own heart.” Salvador joked. “These are perfect. Hopefully we can stall.” Without warning Salvador once again wildly fired at the hostile units, a machine gun gripped on each arm.

As they continued mounting a defense, Arcturus spotted movement above him.

“Roland?” He called out. “What are you doing here?” That had everyone turning their heads up at the man.

“Looks like you all need some help over there! Angel, what can I do?” It had utterly shocked Roland that Angel was actually a Siren, but he pushed that aside. Questions can be saved for later once this whole thing was over and done with. Right now, he was here to help them out, and it was quite the pickle that they got into.

“The Eridium injectors are shielded, but at the top there’s controls that can disable them. I need you to head to each of the controls and disable them so that the team can destroy them.” Angel instructed. Roland nodded and headed over to the first one, crossing the hard light bridge construct.

Arcturus turned towards the team. “Once Roland gets one of them disabled, well, you know what to do.” Everyone shared nods and continued to defend each other. “Everyone, spread out!”

It didn’t take long for the first of the three injectors to be unshielded. “It’s disabled! TAKE IT DOWN NOW!” Angel ordered.

“You heard the young lady! FIRE!” Arcturus and the others followed suit, demolishing the injector almost instantly. Angel screamed in excruciating pain, making all of them wince at the sound.

“You’re all going to pay for this!” Jack screamed.

_ ‘Only two left now. Just hold on, Angel. Please. Just need a little more time--’  _ Arcturus’s thoughts were then interrupted when Roland was blown away by the explosion from the destroyed injector. Luckily, he was saved by Maya, as he was kept on the platform of the shield controls. He gave a nod down towards the blue-haired Siren and threw his new self-forming turret next to Axton’s.

“Give me a few moments to catch my breath. In the meantime, if anyone needs to be helped, get them behind the turret if you can! It’ll help heal you!” He did as he said before moving on towards the next one.

Still, the waves of mechanized units were relentless. The Vault Hunters were still able to hold them off, but Arcturus and Nisha notice them starting to get a little sluggish.

“How long can we last?” Nisha asked with uncertainty as she fired to the side another pair of explosive bullets at an Angel Guard, destroying it instantly.

For the first time that day, he looked worried. “I’m honestly not sure, Nish. I can see them getting a bit more tired since they had to go through so much from Thousand Cuts to here.” He said with concern.

Gaige, who managed to hear them, shouted, “That shit don’t matter, Arc! We’ll keep fighting until we free Angel! RIGHT GUYS?” She hoped they would be able to reassure them, to which she got a raucous response from the rest of the hunters.

“YES!”

Gaige grinned. “You heard them! No matter what, we keep going until Angel is out of that cage! Come, Deathtrap!” She saw their faces revitalized with their conviction. She jumped on one of the Angel Guards and started clawing at it.

Their minds renewed, they started fighting with renewed vigor. Despite the pain she was going through, seeing them mentally recover brought a smile to Angel’s face. Her faith in them has not yet failed her.

Even Roland felt their energy, and he started to work his way to the next control faster.

“It’s done! The second one’s open!”

“NOW!”

The second injector was blasted to bits, and Angel felt her senses overloading and being blasted by multitudes of pain due to the lack of eridium now flowing. It got to a point that she fell to her knees...while her wings still held her up.

“You’re hurting her!”

In the midst of all that, Roland, unlike the previous attempt, was unable to keep balance, and he fell from the top of the machine. He decided to help out the team on the ground while still thinking of a way to get back up to the third and last control panel.

Meanwhile, Arcturus sensed that their time here was nearing its end, so he made plans for his next set of actions.

Connected with his clinic’s facilities, he called upon his A.I. assistant and friend. “Felicity, ready the teleportation device. I’ll let you know when it’s time.”

“You got it, Arcturus. How many people are we teleporting?”

“Ten. But make a backup plan of teleporting eleven. I want to make things sure.”

“Piece of cake. I’ll set up the teleportation capacity right away. Good luck.”

As he ended his call, he heard the familiar sound of fire and explosions, but the fire and explosions belonged to a certain Firehawk.

“How ya doin’?” Lilith made her entrance by blasting away a huge crowd of Angel Guards from the team.

“Are you kidding me?!” Jack shrieked.

Roland did  _ not _ look too happy to see her in the same room as everyone else. “What the hell, Lilith? I told you not to come!”

“Yeah, you did, and I didn’t listen!” She turned to where Arcturus was standing. “You and I are gonna have a long chat, killer.” Lilith grinned.

Arcturus could not help but give one in return. “Hold it off until we all get the hell out of here.”

“I’ll hold you to that!”

Another explosion rocked the place. Arcturus immediately turned to see what happened.

It was Gaige, having taken the brunt of the explosion, hurtling towards them. Maya quickly used her powers to slow down the speed of which she was flown through by encasing her with a slowing phasegrasp. With her help, Arcturus gently caught the young woman in his arms. He then helped her down to her feet.

“You okay, Gaige?” He asked.

She nodded, albeit a bit dazed as she looked back at the medic. “I’ll be fine, just give me a few moments. Thanks for saving me, by the way, you and Maya both.”

Her eyes then widened as a Loader managed to sneak behind him, about to slice him in half. She tackled him to the ground, while at the same time driving her claws deep into the Loader, rendering it unresponsive. Nisha from afar finished the job by sniping at its core with her gun.

Arcturus breathed deeply and smiled in relief towards her. “Thanks, Gaige. You saved me there.”

“Any time, medic man.” She helped him up before heading back to where Deathtrap was. Arcturus decided to regroup by Axton’s turret, backed up by Zer0 covering his flanks.

Maya and Krieg continued to cut a swathe through their side filled with Loaders.

Meanwhile, Nisha and Salvador had been forced to back up against each other as more Loaders surrounded them.

“To think we got surrounded by these  _ pendejos _ , eh?” He said, making some banter.

“Oh, I’m pretty sure it’s them who’s trapped with us.” Nisha grinned.

“Then let’s show them why!”

Salvador’s guns started to fire  _ even faster _ , destroying the Loaders in front of him to bits, while Nisha’s aim improved with an almost surgical precision, firing off at critical weaknesses that were difficult to find. As more of the robotic units spawned, they were gunned down almost immediately as the two shifted spots back and forth.

“Lilith, get me up to that panel!” Roland instructed.

“You got it!” The flaming Siren took Roland and teleported themselves up to the final panel holding the injector’s defenses.

“Just forget about the Vault for one second! You’re going to take away the life of an innocent girl!” Jack said, no, pleaded.

“It’s open!”

“FIRE! NOW!”

“NO, DON’T! PLEASE!”

This was it. All his efforts have now come to this moment. As the last injector exploded, the dome shield trapping Angel fell, and so did Angel. The Loaders and Angel Guard were no longer being spawned. Arcturus quickly rushed to the Siren, taking her in his arms.

“You’ve done it now...you’ve all sealed your fate.” Jack said one last time before the monitors displaying his face went out, and the screens went black.

“Arcturus…” Angel weakly spoke, her hand reaching up to caress his face. “It’s finally over…”

“Shhh, shhh. I’m not going to let you die, baby girl. Please, bear with this one last time. Everything will turn out better in the end, I promise.” One hand held hers, while the other reached into the pocket of his coat, pulling out a small spherical device.

“Is that...a stasis orb?” She asked.

He nodded as he placed it down on her chest. “Give me a few hours, girl. Things  _ will _ be better.”

Angel smiled as best as she could and closed her eyes.  _ ‘Maybe there is hope.’ _ With the stasis orb activated and encompassing Angel, her body and mind were now in a state of suspended animation, her life now in pause. With that part done, he turned to the others.

“Angel’s stable for now. Lilith, Nisha, lock your arms around me. Everyone else, lock arms with the two and each other, like forming a circle. We’re getting out of here.” They all did as he instructed, and everyone was now connected in a circle. After taking a look at everyone to make sure they were all locked with him and each other, he gave a single nod.

“Felicity, get us out of here.”

“Commencing teleportation now, Arcturus.”

As light surrounded the eleven, Arcturus got a glimpse of Jack suddenly appearing before he and the rest of the team disappeared from Angel’s room in a surge of light. He grew concerned, but ultimately couldn't act upon it.  


The light dissipated, revealing all eleven of them back in Five Points Clinic. They were greeted by Felicity smiling warmly at them. “Welcome back, Arcturus, Nisha. And greetings to everyone else. I’m Felicity.”

He eased up and smiled at his A.I. companion as he moved to lay Angel down on a nearby bed once everyone released their grip from each other. “Thanks, Felicity. You’re a godsend.” The medic then breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness we’re back. Now I can get started on Project Angel Savior. Is everyone alright?”

Roland nodded as he spoke for everyone else, “We’re a little banged up, but we’re fine for the most part. Good work everyone. Rest up, get yourselves fixed up, and then--” The leader of the Crimson Raiders suddenly dropped to the floor, revealing a single bullet hole on the left side of his back as blood started to seep out. The bullet was embedded deep within his body, and blood started to seep out.

“ROLAND!”


End file.
